I never thought we could cry as much as we did today saying goodbye to Chubs, Gabi’s rabbit.
He was 14 years old.
For fourteen years, our second-floor hallway was completely taken over by a large rabbit enclosure. (See photos.)
An absolute eyesore, I’m aware — but his enclosure was strategically placed right at the heart of our home so he could never be ignored or forgotten.
I used to spend hours creating mazes and tunnels for him, reconfiguring his habitat over and over again. It was a long and tedious process: searching for the perfect sturdy boxes, sometimes even picking through neighbors’ trash on recycling night, then cutting and securing everything together with floral wire.
But it was deeply rewarding because Chubs greeted every new design with pure enthusiasm.
On cue, he would run through and inspect every feature, almost as if he wanted me to see how much he appreciated the effort.
I loved that about him.
Once I realized the end was near, I called Gabi and she came home from her apartment to say goodbye. When she left, I promised her I would be on end-of-life duty.
At night, I set him up in a makeshift crib beside my side of the bed so I could stroke him and keep him company. He slept a lot, but he held on longer than we expected.
So today Gabi came back, and for a couple of hours he rested quietly on her chest. By then, we had decided that I would take him in to be euthanized in the morning.
But after she placed him back in his bed, he crossed over just twenty minutes later.
Almost as if he simply wanted one last moment with Gabi.
I never imagined I could grieve this deeply for a rabbit — one whose existence was literally an obstacle in the middle of our home. But when rabbit hair becomes woven into the fabric of your daily life for fourteen years, I suppose this kind of heartbreak is inevitable.
And beyond that, Chubs was the last vestige of our girls’ childhood. Losing him feels like losing a living piece of a
much cherished era. With Kika’s wedding fast approaching, it feels both timely and sacred.
He leaves behind a void, both figuratively and literally.
1:08 AM 5/15/26